


Adventure Is Out There!

by scatteringmyashes



Series: Fenris Appreciation Month 2k18 [3]
Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age II
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Children, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fenris Needs a Hug, Fluff, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Kid Fic, M/M, Pre-Relationship, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Trans Hawke
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-04
Updated: 2018-12-04
Packaged: 2019-09-07 12:07:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,614
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16853686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scatteringmyashes/pseuds/scatteringmyashes
Summary: Fenris is a rambunctious, often labeled troublesome kid without any friends. Hawke is a little shit who loves finding other outsiders. It's a friendship for all time — if Hawke can convince Fenris to play with him.Note: past child abuse is tagged for Fenris's past and is only referenced briefly and in no specific detail. Fenris does not live with Danarius or anyone who currently abuses him.





	Adventure Is Out There!

**Author's Note:**

> I literally got this idea this morning and then typed it during downtime at work. Title blatantly stolen from a Pixar movie lmao
> 
> It's still probably the cutest thing I've ever written. 
> 
> Anyways, enjoy my entry for Day 4: Adventure!

“Do you want to go on an adventure?”

Fenris looked up at the boy who was talking. At least, he thought he was a boy. He had kind of long hair but so did Fenris when Mom hadn't found time to cut it yet. He was wearing grey shorts and his shirt was black with a red dragon on the front. There was a bright pink bandage across his nose and a myriad of cuts and bruises across his limbs. 

“Who are you?” Fenris asked instead of answering the question. 

“My name is James Xander Hawke, but you can call me Hawke.” The self-porcelain Hawke put his hands on his hips and posed. “I'm a hero! And all heroes have cool names. James isn't cool, but Hawke is.” 

When Fenris failed to react the way Hawke clearly wanted, Hawke frowned and dropped his pose. “You looked really sad alone over here and my mom says that I need to be nicer to people.” 

“Why did she say that?” Fenris scowled. “And I'm not sad. I'm brooding. I read about it in a book. It's what people do when they're looking for a fight.” 

Hawke instantly brightened again. “Do you like fighting? I love fighting. I got into a fight with one of my friends last week.” He glanced around. Besides the two eight year old boys, there was no one else near this part of the playground. “Can you keep a secret?” 

After a moment of consideration, Fenris nodded. 

“I don't really think he's my friend, but my mom says I have to be nice to him because he lives next to me.” Hawke sighed dramatically. “But! You should play with me. And the others. I'm friends with a lot of people.” 

Fenris shook his head. “I don't get along with other kids.” 

“What do you mean? I'm getting along with you,” Hawke pointed out. 

Fenris wondered if there was any point mentioning how they had only been talking for a few minutes, but he didn't want to argue. Hawke was a bigger boy, both taller and more muscular. Plus Fenris hadn't eaten lunch yet — he had given his apple to Varania. 

“Come on, you're the last person we need to have a full party and recess is almost over.” Hawke resorted to stomping a foot on the ground in frustration. “We just need one more person.” 

It was probably not worth mentioning how there was still at least half an hour in recess, but the signs of frustration did not endear Hawke to Fenris. “No. I don't want to play with you,” Fenris said. 

“Why not?” Hawke pointed to the playground, where a group of kids were all scrambling about. Fenris couldn't see who specifically Hawke was trying to draw attention towards. “Look, there's Isabela. She's a pirate. And there's Varric. He's my best friend and he's a spymaster and a storyteller. And there's Merrill. She's a witch.” 

Fenris looked at Hawke like he had sprouted a second head. Hawke rolled his eyes. 

“Not literally. It's all pretend. But I'm an assassin, like a thief but I kill people.”

“... You kill people.” 

Hawke beamed like this was the best compliment Fenris could have given. “Yeah! And Varric helps me hide the bodies.” 

Someone, a girl with dark skin and long brown hair, ran over. She was in a white shirt and a wavy peach skirt. There was a big, almost gaudy gold necklace that bounced up and down as she jogged towards them. She stuck her tongue out at Hawke, who scowled back at her. 

“Come on, Hawke. We wanna play. He obviously doesn't want to — leave him.” The girl tossed some hair behind her head. “Unless he wants to join and be part of my crew.” 

“Why would I want to play with you?” Fenris asked, incredulous. 

The girl made a face. “I take it back. I don't want to play with him anyways.” 

“Isa- _bela_ ,” Hawke said. Isabela humphed and ran back to the playground, shouting something about what a bore Hawke was. 

Hawke looked rather put out by the whole interaction. Fenris sighed. He stuffed his hands in his jacket pockets, wincing when he accidentally poked a larger hole in the bottom of one. 

“I just don't get along with others. Thank you for asking, but I don't want to play with you,” he said. 

A moment passed. Hawke sighed. “Okay, but I'm only gonna go away if you tell me something.” 

“... what?” 

“What’s your name? I told you mine, so you gotta tell me yours.” Hawke kept glancing back at his friends, who were all waiting for him to come back over. Fenris wondered why Hawke was still talking to him when he clearly was anxious about missing out recess even more than he already had. 

“My name is Fenris.” 

Hawke grinned. “Okay, Fenris. I know you don't want to play with us now, but one day we're going to go on so many adventures. I just know it!” Without waiting for a reply, Hawke turned away and dashed back to his friends. 

For a moment, Fenris was actually sad that he didn't join him. 

#

Fenris was halfway through his worksheet when another kid sat in front of him. This was unusual because Fenris was supposed to be alone at his desk. That happened since day one of second grade, when Fenris threatened to stab another student with a pencil when he called Fenris a knife ear. 

The kid's mother had threatened to sue. Fenris hadn't cared. His mother had begged him to behave. Fenris, as per usual, hadn't listened. 

So he was very confused when a stubby kid with with a crooked nose sat across him. 

“Hi, I'm Varric. Master storyteller, spinner of tales, spider in the middle of all webs. And I'm Hawke's best friend.” 

It took Fenris a moment to realize who this was. Hawke had talked to him just the other day — was he really so impatient as to start sending his friends after Fenris? 

“What do you want?” Fenris said. He tapped his pencil against his paper. He could hear that most of the class was already done, but it was tricky. Letters tended to blur together and mix up whenever Fenris looked at them, almost as if someone had turned every piece of paper into a bowl of alphabet soup. 

Teachers said he just wasn't trying hard enough or that he wasn't good because he grew up speaking another language. Even though Fenris could speak Trade better than most of his peers, he was the stupid one. 

“You should play with us at recess. Hawke would love it. He's been looking for a warrior for ages.”

“A what?” 

“A warrior.” Varric nodded sagely, or at least as sagely as an eight year old with a nose more bent than a a boomerang could. “You know. Big, strong. Swing around swords. Rescue damsels in distress. The whole nine yards.” 

“Why would I be a warrior?” Fenris kind of wanted to tell Varric to leave him alone but he was also interested. The last human kid who had wanted to play with him said he had to be a slave because he was an elf. A warrior… that sounded fun. 

“Hawke decides. Well, he asks us what we want but he always has the best ideas. Besides me. I have the best ideas because I'm the storyteller.” Varric said all of this was confidence. Fenris wondered if it was a dwarf thing. “So you should play with us. It'll make Hawke happy.”

“And you trust Hawke?” Fenris asked. 

“Of course! We're best friends and best friends always trust one another.” Before Varric could say anything else, the teacher came over. 

Mrs. Meredith crossed her arms. “Varric, what are you doing?” 

Varric started babbling about how he was done, how he was helping Fenris with his work, how he wasn't getting into any trouble, _honest_ — 

Mrs. Meredith sighed. She focused her gaze at Fenris, who felt his stomach flip. She didn't look like Hadriana, but she still scared him like Hadriana did. 

“Are you done?” 

Fenris shook his head. Varric coughed and kept babbling. If Fenris had the ability to think about anything other than the fact that he wanted to avoid Mrs. Meredith putting him in time out and getting him in trouble, he would have been impressed. 

“Varric, less talking and more helping. If you can help Leto finish, then we can move on.” Mrs. Meredith walked away to where Cullen and another blond boy were making a fort out of books, much to the chagrin of a girl who was trying to read one of the books. 

A heavy sigh escaped Fenris and he leaned back in his seat. He took a moment to count to ten, like his mom said he should whenever he was scared or angry. 

“So do you actually want help or do you just want to sit here and talk?” Varric asked. Fenris stared at him. “What? They're stupid and they don't even help. I could do this in my sleep. Here—” Varric grabbed the paper away from Fenris. 

“No, don’t—” Fenris felt a vibrant blush spread over his face. He had never felt so embarrassed. He knew Varric would tell Hawke how stupid Fenris was and then Hawke wouldn't want to play with Fenris and it didn't matter but — 

Varric squinted at the writing. “Are you using your left hand to write or are you just this bad at writing?” 

Fenris looked at his hands. He had always been told he had to use his right hand, but… experimentally he put the pencil in his left hand and tried to write his name. It was hard, but a lot more fluid. 

“Oh.” The letters were still crooked and he didn't think reading would get any easier, but maybe this would help with his writing. Fenris hesitated before saying, “I suppose… could you please help me with the worksheet?” 

“Sure. But you have to promise to play with me and Hawke today at lunch.” Varric grinned. He stuck a hand out. “Shake on it. Like any good adventurers. We'd make a blood oath, but Hawke got his knife taken away after threatening Anders with it.” 

Fenris decided not to mention that blood oaths were generally bad and evil. He nodded and shook Varric's hand. 

#

Lunch meant that Fenris would find a quiet place to sit, eat if he had anything, and struggle through his latest chapter book if he didn't. But Varric didn't let him slink off. Instead he grabbed Fenris by his sleeve and pulled him over to where the others were sitting. Well, everyone but Hawke. He was standing on the bench, the center of attention. 

He wildly waved his arms as he spoke, almost hitting a small black-haired elf multiple times. Isabela was next to him, goading him on. There was a blond boy and a red haired girl that Fenris hadn't seen before, but he recognized the boy from his p.e. class. 

Anders was a mage. Fenris hated him on principle. 

“Hey, Hawke. Guess who I convinced to join us?” Varric said, gesturing towards Fenris. 

Hawke turned and looked. His eyes went wide and he grinned. He jumped off the bench and scrambled over. There was a new bruise on his knee, but it looked like it was just a side effect of roughhousing. He stopped in front of Fenris, swaying on his heels.

“Hi,” he said with a surprisingly shy tone. 

“Hi,” Fenris replied. He toyed with the hem of his shirt. “Varric helped me with some work. So I agreed to play with you today.” 

“Oh, wow.” Hawke glanced at Varric and, very obviously, gave him a thumbs up. Varric returned it. 

“Are you going to be our friend?” The other elf suddenly said. She stood up and walked over, extending her hands. Then she said something in Elvish that Fenris didn't understand. “My name is Merrill. I'm from Clan Sabrae. What clan are you from?” 

Fenris blinked. He shook one of her hands. “My name is Fenris. I am from — very far away.” 

Merrill nodded, not at all put off by his lack of enthusiasm. “Are you going to be another witch? I'm hoping I get magic, then I can be a Keeper someday. That's Anders. He has magic but he's mean about it.” 

“Yeah, we're ‘caitences,” Anders said. He crossed his arms. “I'm in Mr. Orsino's class though.”

“We all are,” the red haired girl said. “Except Varric. He's in Mrs. Meredith's class.”

“I wish I was in Mrs. Meredith's class,” Hawke complained. “Then I could be with Fenris and Varric.”

“Aw, don't be like that. You get to have me!” Isabela said, sipping at her juice box. “Fenris, sit by me. I want to talk to you.”

“I thought you didn't want to be my friend.” 

“No, I was just upset because Hawke was getting your attention when Hawke should be giving me his attention.” Isabela flipped her hair back. She was still wearing her necklace. “Merrill gives me enough attention.” 

“Why do you ask for attention? If you want it, you have to earn it,” Fenris pointed out. Isabela laughed. 

“Oh, I like you.” She grinned at him. “Sit by me and we can discuss strategy. I bet you'd be a great member of my crew. A high ranking member. Maybe the boatswain or first mate.” 

Fenris thought about it. Then he went to sit by her. Hawke immediately took up position on his other side. He seemed almost nervous, but started talking to the others about what they were going to do today. As far as Fenris could figure, everyone was a member of a group of adventurers who got around using Isabela’s pirate ship. They were currently on a trip to defeat the evil mages who kept people prisoner and used them in evil plots. 

Eventually the playground was opened up and the group went running off to claim their spot. Merrill and Isabela seemed to have no issue with jumping right into things. Aveline — the red head, Fenris learned — and Anders immediately got into a fight. Varric stayed with Hawke and Fenris at the base of the jungle gym.

“So Fenris is a brave warrior—” Hawke began. Varric held a hand up. “What?” 

“Ask Fenris what he wants to be,” Varric said. 

“Oh! Fenris, do you want to be a warrior? I know I told you that you were yes'erday, but Varric said I should ask you too,” Hawke asked. 

Fenris swallowed. Did he want to be a warrior? He wasn’t sure what else he could be. He didn't want to be a filthy mage. And he didn't think he'd be a very good boatswan or whatever Isabela said. 

Varric was the spymaster and Hawke was the assassin. Maybe Fenris could be the ranger — that was a thing, right? But he tries to picture himself with a bow and arrow, shooting at his enemies from far away, and he didn't like it. Whenever he got in fights, the best part was being able to get close and see the way that others got scared of him. 

“I think I want to be a warrior,” Fenris said slowly. “But I don't work for anyone else. I'm my own warrior.” 

Hawke was looking at him with big, wide, hopeful eyes. Varric elbowed him in the side. 

“What?” Hawke said. Varric gestured towards Fenris. “Oh! Oh, yeah, that’s good. I knew you’d be a good warrior!” Hawke beamed and grabbed Fenris's hand. “Are you ready to go adventuring?” 

Fenris counted to ten. Then he smiled and nodded.


End file.
